Puella Magi Takara Magica
by OMGitsEmeraldStar
Summary: This is the story of how one girl's life could be completely turned from bad to worse. All from just a simple little wish.
1. Chapter 1- Broken

_Darkness… I'm surrounded by darkness._

The girl couldn't see anything but pitch blackness. It was as if she was trapped in a world where no one could see her; an encasement of suspicion and fear. The girl was alone in this vast universe, where no one could hear her screams, her cries for someone to save her. She longed for a rescuer; a savior that would take her hand and free her from this suffocating darkness.

_I don't want this._

Everyone just walked by her. Some of them feeling pity for the girl; others just mocking her, their looks of scorn and malice burning into her mind, clinging to her thoughts like fire. She could feel it; the darkness growing stronger, thicker, the walls that enclosed her in this empty world narrowing with each passing second.

Some people just ignored her; they couldn't care less. They looked on with indifference, pretending she wasn't there. She was beginning to lose hope. She could feel herself melting into this world; she would become as dark and empty as the air around her. There was no rescuer, no hero. Nobody would bother to save her.

_I don't deserve this._

Voices, whispering, the sound getting louder, crowding and crushing her, she couldn't breath, she couldn't see a thing. But she couldn't do anything about it, as she was trapped in a glass barrier. She longed to crush this barrier; to release herself into the world that existed beyond this dismal place. However, the girl knew that if she broke the barrier, the noises would only get louder, harsher, crueler.

Like the deafening noise of glass shattering into pieces.

_Please save me from this hell._

* * *

><p>"Psst. Takara."<p>

The little light purple-haired girl was trying to wake up her older sister, Takara. She had forgotten to set up her alarm clock at seven this morning. The little girl poked her face repeatedly, but softly so that she wouldn't be mad when she woke up.

"Sis. It's time to get up."

Takara still wouldn't get up. She turned away from her little sister in an attempt to shut her out. She didn't have much sleep last night.

Her little sister knew that there was still one more option. She moved her mouth closer to Takara's ear.

"WAKE UP!"

Takara shot up in an instant after hearing her sister shriek in her ear. She turned to Saki, annoyed with her.

"Saki! I told you not to do that anymore," Takara scolded, "Next time, just let me sleep for an extra five minutes if I'm that tired."

"You wouldn't have woken up either way!" Saki pouted. "I was doing you a favor by waking you up! You should be proud." Takara just rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Where's Mom?"

"Asleep, again." Saki didn't sound too happy with that statement. Neither of them should be. They knew if she was asleep in the morning, she was either depressed or hungover, which was never a good sign. If they tried to wake her up, she would just yell at them to go away and shut the door.

That's how Mom always was after her husband left them.

After Saki was born, the DNA tests from the hospital said that her husband wasn't her biological father. The doctors said that Saki's real father was their mom's boss.

She had cheated on him.

After that, they got in a huge fight. They were throwing plates at each other in anger, the sound of it crashing and breaking ringing in her ears. They yelled and cursed, the clatter resonating through the entire house. Takara, who was only four at the time, couldn't understand why they were fighting. Their parents filed a divorce, her Dad packed his bags, and he was never heard from again.

That was the first sign that things were never going to be the same.

Mom quit her job so that she wouldn't have to see her boss again. She started drinking. Heavily. It seemed to drown out her problems at the time, but it only brought more. She grew neglectful of her kids, which mentally scarred them as much as the divorce scarred their mother.

Takara took on a motherly instinct for Saki. It was more like she was her guardian. Either way, Takara was still her big sister.

"Let's go eat breakfast, Saki." Takara said, leaving the room, knowing that Saki would follow her.

Every morning, Takara and Saki would make themselves breakfast, mostly miso soup. When they were done, they would get dressed in their school uniforms. Takara put parts of her dark purple hair in pigtails, while the rest of her hair was free. She would put Saki's hair into a braid, leaving her shaggy bangs in front.

They walked to school together for the last time.

* * *

><p>Takara went to her first class, where she sat at the front of the room. She hated it there; she'd rather be in the back of the room, where there was no one behind her to put their feet on her chair. It didn't matter where she'd rather be, she was still there anyway.<p>

While Takara was getting settled, two girls walked into class. Specifically, Yuna and Keiko. Yuna has a reputation of being the toughest girl in the class, she could get away with pretty much anything she wanted. When Keiko first arrived at that school as a new kid, the teacher told Yuna to show her around the school. After they got to know each other, those two became best friends.

Yuna sat behind Takara in class, Keiko sat behind Yuna.

Takara reached for her little pouch of pencils and opened it, only to find a sharpener with no pencils. Great, now I have to beg people for supplies, she thought, as she turned to the boy on her left. She tapped on his shoulder, yet he didn't turn his head. Takara tried again, but still no response.

"He's never going to notice you, Takara," said Yuna in her usually bold voice, "You're too much of a quiet little nut job for that to happen." Her voice caught the attention of a few kids in the class. Takara could feel the other kids staring at her, but she decided to ignore it.

"No one even likes her enough to pay attention anyway," said Keiko, talking to herself. Yuna turned to her and giggled.

"Good point." said Yuna. Takara could hear them talking behind her, which made her a little ticked off. She turned around, violently, and gave a mean look to Yuna. The sudden movement made her jump, but she refused to look intimidated by Takara.

"For your information," Takara started with a stern voice, "I was just asking him for a pencil…."

"Oh, you need a pencil?" Yuna asked with a fake nice tone.

"Yeah."

"Well I don't have an extra for you. Maybe try buying your own materials next time?"

There was a couple of "ooohhh"s from the other kids who were listening. It was humorous for them to watch Takara be humiliated. She was obviously embarrassed; you could see it in her face. You could also see the annoyance in her eyes. She turned back around, taking out her notes to distract herself from Yuna and all the kids staring at her.

"Maybe if you would mind your own business once in a while…" Takara muttered to herself.

"What did you say?" Yuna shouted.

Takara rolled her eyes and continued reading her notes. Even if she was used to this kind of behavior from her classmates, it wasn't exactly welcomed.

"Thought so." Yuna had a cocky smirk on her face.

Yuna always tried to act tough; that was only because she knew what power she had. Rumor had it that she had gotten expelled from her last school for getting in a fight with one of her teachers and knocking them out. She doesn't show that much regret for it either. Of course, it was just a rumor; Yuna never confirmed to it being true. She wanted to remain mysterious.

Keiko, on the other hand, is more verbally aggressive. She mostly fights with sarcastic remarks and blatant judgements. Everyone always called her "Yuna's little pet," since she seems to always take her side in arguments. In this case, Yuna would be very defensive of her.

Takara felt very awkward and hyperconscious of her actions at that point. She had always hated everyone in that class, but mostly Yuna and Keiko, since they're the ones who turned everyone against her. Since she was always so quiet and she sat alone at lunch, everyone thought she was hiding something.

There was an ongoing rumour at that school that Takara had schizophrenia. People either pitied her or they made fun of her for it. She told them repeatedly that the rumour wasn't true, but they didn't listen. Everyone would call her crazy and weird; it was no wonder people always avoided her.

After all, who cares about poor little Takara?

* * *

><p>There it was. Lunch time.<p>

Takara had walked into the cafeteria and put her bag down in her normal spot. She pulled out her identification card to go get her food. As she was about to get food, a crowd of people rushed to be first in line, pushing Takara out of the way, leaving her in the back of the line. Like she needed to feel more embarrassment than she did earlier.

The cafeteria was booming with the noise of children talking, running around to find their seats. Not one table was ever left empty in that room, everyone was crowded by their friends.

All of their smiling faces just pissed her off; the only people who were allowed to laugh and smile were the ones who deserved it the least. There was no time to feel loved and accepted when almost everyone she's ever known had a disliking towards her since they met her. All the bad people got what Takara so rightfully deserved. The feeling that she had longed for all this time. The feeling of unconditional love.

After a while of waiting in line, she had finally gotten her food. Since her first class, she had been agitated. She wasn't exactly paying attention to where she was going. She picked up her tray and made her way to her seat.

And then the worst thing happened.

"Ugh! You little shit!"

Takara had bumped into Yuna and Keiko and spilled her orange juice on them. Mostly Yuna, but a fair amount had spilled on Keiko as well.

They were standing face to face. Yuna's anger was building up each second they stood in silence and it felt like it was going to explode at any moment.

"This...was a new...uniform." Yuna's eye was twitching with fury.

"I…" Takara was just as stunned as Yuna was agitated. She felt as if she couldn't breathe or speak. It felt as if time had stood still and one second felt like forever. She didn't know what was going to happen next or what consequences were to come. Keiko felt the tension of the moment and decided to intervene.

"Yuna, please calm down," said Keiko, "She's not worth it! Remember what happened last time you lost your temper."

Yuna looked at Keiko and then looked back at Takara. Yuna, knowing that Keiko was probably right, decided to let it go. For now, at least.

"I'll deal with you later, pest." Yuna walked away, signaling Keiko to follow her. Takara sighed in relief; it seemed as if she was somehow saved from some huge disaster.

There was still some fear left in her after what she said though. "I'll deal with you later." Later? What did she mean by "later?"

_I guess I'll find out. Later._

* * *

><p>She had finally reached the end of the day. They both did.<p>

Takara and Saki were walking home from school. Saki was telling a story about what happened that day. Takara was only half listening, nodding her head and saying a few "uh-huh"s at the end of every other sentence, trying to match her emotions as best as she can.

"And so the guy walked in and my friend is like 'That's the guy with the tomatoes!' and I was like 'What are you talking about?' and then- hey, I'm not annoying you, am I? With the stories, I mean." Saki paused. That last sentence caught Takara's attention.

"No, no, your stories don't annoy me," Takara reassured, "Talk all you want, I love listening to your stories." She never let Saki know that she was only half listening. Takara didn't want Saki to feel like no one cared; she knew how that felt all too well.

The air was cool as it flowed through their hair. It was always so quiet on that street that they could hear the crisp sound of their own footsteps against the concrete sidewalk. It felt to them that they were the only people there.

Until now.

"Well, looks like the nut job has a little sister."

That was Yuna's voice.

The two sisters turned around simultaneously in one swift movement to see Yuna and Keiko, who seemed to be amused at the sight of Takara having a little sister.

"I guess it's true what they say," said Keiko, "Freaks travel in packs. They must be the abandoned offspring." The two bullies cackled at that comment. Takara's hands clenched into fists as her entire body tensed up, her heart rate going faster. Saki looked up at her, seeing how upset she looked. She wanted to say something, but she was afraid.

"A-And who might you be?" said Saki, trying to be polite, despite their nastiness towards them. The girls looked surprised that she actually said anything to begin with, unlike her older sister.

"Hey, this one actually talks back," said Yuna, amused by how intimidated she was of her. Yuna stepped a little closer to them in order to get a better look at Saki. "I suggest you stop doing that, unless you wanna get hit. Is that what you want, little brat?"

Takara couldn't just stand there while her sister was getting talked down like that. She needed to do something, but what could she do? She was just as weak as her, she couldn't do anything.

"N-No, but-"

"You're probably just as crazy and weird as your sister, right? I bet she sniffs glue all the time at home and that's why she's so stupid, huh?" Yuna was basically tormenting them at this point. She loved that there were two of them to mess around with.

To the two bullies, it was hilarious; all just a fun game. They have been mentally and physically torturing Takara since middle school as a way to feel powerful. They enjoyed having that sense of power.

"My sister is not stupid!" Saki shouted, her voice boasting defiance. "Why are you saying these things?"

"Because they're all true! Face it, kid, she's a crazy nut job."

Takara was going to lose it. She could feel herself about to snap and she couldn't stop it now.

"Just like you."

"THAT IS _ENOUGH_!"

All three of them turned to look at Takara, her face smoldering with bitter determination. Saki was all she had; the only person in the world who cared for her, the only person who didn't ignore her or laugh at her. To her, Saki was everything. Those two could do all they wanted with her, but she would not let them get near her little sister. It was her job to protect Saki, and she would not step down, no matter what happened.

Her body, her mind, her soul was being enclosed, imprisoned in the moment, falling victim to the burning sensation in her chest. Nothing existed but her pulsating, ever-ringing heartbeat, the sound enveloping her and sinking into the corners of her mind. She stared at the two girls, her two tormentors.

_Those disgusting people… No, I wouldn't even call them human. Those creatures… Who do they think they are to govern my life?_

Her blood turning to ice, Takara was ready to confront them, her red eyes locked on the two smiling girls. She stepped up and got in their faces.

_"You always act like you can treat people how you want just because you have a reputation! Because you pretend like you're better than everyone else! You always pick on me and I always have to take it, but no matter what, you do NOT pick on my little sister! Do you understand me?!"_

It was silent. No one knew how to respond to that outburst. Not even Takara herself. This was the angriest she had ever gotten with them. You don't mess with family.

"...You just made the biggest damn mistake of your life." Yuna had the most intense expression on her face. Keiko grabbed Takara and had her in a chokehold.

"Let go of her!" Saki tried to save her, but Yuna clenched her right fist and swung it, making a critical hit in Saki's skull. She dropped to the ground, clutching her head in pain.

"SAKI!"

"You should be more concerned about what we're gonna do to you!" After Yuna said that, the two girls held her down and beat her violently, punching her face in and kicking at her ribcage every chance they got. Saki was on the ground, forced to be a bystander. She couldn't do anything when she was suffering massive head trauma at the moment.

_This isn't happening, she said to herself, This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't real!_

_This isn't real. It can't be._

After what seemed like forever, they left Takara on the cold ground, bruised and broken, emotionally and physically. They did it. They finally broke her.

_"Think about that next time you wanna try us again!"_

Takara felt like she could barely get up. She was crying; right there, she wanted to give up on life. Then she remembered someone.

"Saki….."

She pushed herself to sit up and looked over at Saki, who was hugging her knees and crying to herself. It seemed as if she was having a mental breakdown. Takara rushed over to her, limping a bit. She kneeled down and held her close.

"I-I'm sorry...I couldn't protect you…I'm a terrible person…" Takara was still crying. The worst feeling is not being able to protect the person that you care about the most. Saki hugged her tightly.

"None of this was ever your fault, sis." Saki whispered into Takara's ear, which made her tears flow even faster. _How could I let this happen?_ She felt cold inside, the emptiness beginning to fill her again. _Why am I so helpless?_

_"You could change all of this."_

Startled by the sudden the sudden intrusion, Takara looked to see a small, white-furred creature with red, beady eyes. It seemed to appear out of nowhere, but Takara was too emotionally broken to care at that moment. None of this could be real. It's just a dream. She didn't say anything.

_"If you have a wish that you would die for, I could grant that wish. The possibilities are vast for you, Takara Shibata."_

Takara said the first thing that entered her mind, a thought that had always been there, a thought that she had been too afraid to acknowledge. But now, after everything that had happened, she didn't fear that thought anymore. She embraced it.

"...I would wish for them to die."

"W-What?" Saki was shocked at the sudden dark tone of her sister.

_"Would you trade your soul for that wish? Would you become a magical girl to grant that wish?"_

"I don't care what I become," said Takara, who was now standing up, furious. "I just want them dead by my hands. If I have to become a magical girl for that to happen, then fine! Make me a magical girl, then!"

"As you wish."

Takara let out a horrible scream as her body was jolted with agonizing pain; something was being torn from of her chest. The feeling shook and resonated throughout her entire body, before it ended as suddenly as it had begun. She opened her eyes, a glimmer of light shining in the air before her. Takara grabbed the tiny glowing sphere, and her eyes widened as she watched it transform into a tiny silver ring.

Now it's my turn.

Her head turning ominously, Takara's eyes fell on the two girls in front of her. The anger was gone now, the candle in her mind had burned so brightly that it had given out. Her consciousness was frozen over, the jumble of burning thoughts that filled her mind had been erased, her mind was blank, focused, barren. She felt nothing at all.

Following an instinct she had never felt before, her clothing, her body began to change. Her school uniform fading away into a purple mist, her body now covered in something else; it looked almost like a costume. She felt something in her hands, too. Something cold. A weapon. She stared in awe at what she had clutched in her hands; a massive, curving scythe.

She was ready.

Takara ran full speed ahead at her tormentors, the sound of her footsteps racing in her ears, and as the wind rushed past her she began to feel invigorated, powerful, bracing herself for revenge. With one flick of her wrist, it was all over, the scythe moving through the air faster than her eyes could follow. Takara didn't think; she didn't feel. In what felt like a split second, Yuna and Keiko had collapsed to the concrete floor, their blood staining the sidewalk and draining from their crumpled bodies.

And then the strangest thing happened.

The girls were on fire, their bodies exploding in orange and gold. Takara felt more alive than ever; the look on their faces, the excruciating fear and pain. This is what she had been waiting for all her life.

As she watched the life begin to fall from their eyes, Takara felt a smile creep across her face. She had never remembered being this happy before.

_"T-Takara?!"_

Takara turned around to see Saki, her eyes wide with horror. For the first time in her life, she was terrified of her older sister. Takara was a murderer.

The glass barrier had finally been broken.


	2. Chapter 2- Fresh Start

Nothing will ever be the same again.

Those two girls, she had watched them. She had watched them burn. Their faces… Once bright and full of emotion… No, she would never forget it. The way their eyes and nose and lips contorted and clenched as they strained to be heard over the crackling flames… Their screeches of agony…

The images had been burned into her mind, their voices, their faces almost unrecognizable as the fire consumed their entire bodies. Time was frozen, the whole world stopped and stared as she watched the scene replay in her mind, over and over again. The symphony of blood-curdling screams continued to soak her thoughts; her consciousness dripping with a cold, endless sound.

Nothing was left of them but the black stains that tainted the sidewalk only inches away from her petrified body. Everything was blank; she couldn't think, let alone say anything right now. The only sounds she could hear from herself were soft, quivering whimpers and the ever-ringing beat of her heart, pounding like footsteps, running, running, running…

Takara… Who are you? How could you do this?! How could you murder two people? Are you still the same person? No, you've finally lost it. Just like mom. Why did it have to end this way, sis? Why can't we just live happily ever after like in the fairy tales we read together?

But even after everything you've done...I still love you. Why?

Takara was just then coming back to the reality of the situation and what damage she had done. Finally, she had torn away the curtain in her mind and unveiled her most malicious thoughts; the thoughts she had stored away and hidden, the thoughts she had wanted so badly to forget. That lingering feeling, that overwhelming desire that had broken and repaired her all in one moment. What have I done? Takara's entire body was shaking; she felt like collapsing right then and there. The worst part of it all was that Saki was forced to watch. She was only ten years old.

_This is just a nightmare. I'll wake up soon. _

_This isn't real._

"Takara…..you…."

Saki was on the verge of tears. The very person she had trusted the most was now a murderer. No, a monster. Even if the circumstances were understandable, murder was never right, it was never justifiable. No matter how much hatred you had built up inside of you, you should never burden yourself with something so twisted and wrong.

Takara turned around in a flash, to possibly comfort Saki, despite how emotionally broken she herself was on the inside. She probably needed it more than Takara did; she was a good person with a beautiful heart. This is all my fault...After all this time...the person I cared for most...

"S-Saki…" Takara found it difficult to hold back her tears, "...It's alright….Everything is g-going to be fine…" She held out her arms and walked up to her for a hug. She figured that if she could reassure her little sister that everything was going to be fine and that things were going to be the same, maybe she would start to believe it.

Of course, she would only be lying to herself.

"NO!" Saki pushed her away, her eyes wild with fear and distrust. Stumbling backwards, Takara was shocked by her sister's resistance, but at the same time, it was to be expected. After all, it's not like she was ever worthy of love in the first place. That's what Takara kept telling herself, at least.

"W-What?" Takara was visibly shaken.

"...I said...no." Saki took a crying breath before finishing, "Takara, I love you, but…...you just killed two peo-"

"They were the ones terrorizing us! They were the monsters! What did you want me to do? Stand around being weak and helpless while they keep terrorizing me? I never wanted this to happen, but I had no choice!"

Takara had collapsed to the ground, reduced to a sobbing mass, dropping her scythe, the metal ringing in her ears as she started to cry. She couldn't see herself stopping anytime soon.

_Why did I have to kill them? Why couldn't they have just left me alone? The only one in the world who loves me… Saki… She hates me now. How could I let this happen? I'm all alone..._

Saki stared intently at Takara, her eyes burning with tears.

_"I think you're the monster."_

Just like that she ran off. The only person who had ever cared about her was running away, scared of her, afraid to be near her. Takara never imagined a day where she and Saki weren't together.

"Saki, come back!" Takara cried out, her pathetic voice echoing in her ears, a reminder of how helpless she was without her...

Saki didn't stop running. She didn't know where she was going, but she couldn't care less. She just had to get away from that place, it was just too much. She definitely wasn't going back home with her mother; she was on the brink of losing it. It's bad enough that she had lost Takara to insanity.

Takara needed to tell somebody about this… She needed to get help, before something happened to Saki. She would have to tell her mother about this. She might not be able to help, but it was worth a shot. Heaving herself from the cement below, she raced over to the house, hoping desperately that she would be able to find her little sister.

Crying and whining wouldn't solve anything.

* * *

><p><em>I am completely alone.<em>

The twenty-seven year old mother was sitting at the dinner table, exhausted from oversleeping, a glass of rum in her hand. There was a lot of things going on in her mind that were stressing her out. She was trying to quit her alcohol addiction, that one being her "last drink."

Ever since the divorce, she had the idea in her head that she would be alone for the rest of her life. She always had the idea that Saki being born was the main reason for the divorce. She never saw it as her being disloyal to her "one true love.".

She looked out the window to see that there was a sunset in the sky. Neither Takara nor Saki came home that night. _I'll wait until morning to worry about them_, she thought. Just then, there was a knock at the door. She sluggishly got up from her chair and opened the door.

It was only Takara.

"Oh, hey, Takara," her mother muttered, feeling a little tipsy. "I was wondering why you didn't show up." She showed no concern for Saki's whereabouts at all. Takara was obviously panicked while her mother didn't seem to care.

"Mom, Saki has gone missing."

Those words took a little while for her to process. There was a short moment of silence between the two of them before her mother said anything.

"Missing? How? Wasn't she with you when you were walking home?" she asked with only slight curiosity rather than concern.

"She, uh, I….." Takara couldn't find the words to tell her. She didn't want to tell her mother what really happened, she needed to keep this a secret. She just stood there, nervously.

"Oh, well," she spoke with emptiness, "It doesn't matter anyway. Just one less person I have to pretend to care about." She walked back to her table with her glass waiting for her.

Those words had broken Takara's heart. "It doesn't matter anyway." How could she not matter to her? And the fact that she only pretended to care made it worse.

"Doesn't matter?" said Takara, shaken, "She's your daughter. Shouldn't you be at least a little worried?"

"Just let her go; she'll be fine."

"But we should at least try to look for her. She could be in danger!"

"Oh god, Takara, I am really not in the mood for-"

"What if she gets kidnapped? Should we just wait for her to get kidnapped and then we start to care? Hell, even if something did happened to her, would it even matter to you?"

_"Will you just shut up already?"_

The room was silent. Takara knew that this conversation had achieved mother had never cared about them anyway, so why would she care if one of them just disappeared? It would just mean that there was one less person in the house, one less mouth to feed.

"Fine. I'll look for her myself." As Takara had her hand on the doorknob, she turned around just to say her final words. "Just so you know, you've been a terrible mother all these years. Who would ever want to be around a person like you, let alone be married to them? It was no wonder that you would end up alone."

She slammed the door shut.

* * *

><p>It was a very cold, chilly night.<p>

The world was pitch black outside, nothing could be seen but the half moon and the street lights that hung above Takara. She walked slowly down the pavement, the air around her as cold as thoughts in her head. She had to set things straight, she didn't want Saki to hate her. That's what she was afraid of most.

There was also the unbearable weight of guilt on her shoulders. She tried to ignore it, but it was always there, a shadowy figure that never strayed too far behind. "The past is in the past," Takara kept telling herself, but it didn't change the fact that everything was wrong. She lifted up her left hand and sadly looked down at her ring with the little red gem on it. She sighed and continued down the empty road.

_"I suggest you should start witch hunting soon. Your soul gem should be at least a little black by now."_

Startled by the sudden voice in her head, she spun around, her eyes landing on the small, furry creature she had seen before. She found it strange how it managed to find her out here. She was confused by its words.

"Witch-hunting? Soul gem?"

_"Yes. As a magical girl, you must hunt witches to keep your soul gem from getting dirty."_

Then it hit her. Takara had completely forgotten that she made a contract to become a magical girl, thus granting her wish to murder the two girls. Although, she didn't exactly know what it meant when it was talking about "witches" and her "soul gem." She turned to face the creature, her mind buzzing with questions.

"OK, first of all, what's a 'witch' and what's a 'soul gem?'"

_"Witches are beings that spread the seeds of disaster across the world. Magical girls use their powers to kill these witches. Those witches drop grief seeds most of the time, which is used to clean your soul gem. Your soul gem is where all of your magic is contained."_

That sounded easy enough for Takara to understand. She assumed that witches were like evil magical girls, so she had no problem with the idea of killing them. After all, magical girls were the saviors, the heroines in most of the animes she had seen, so witches must have been the villains.

"Alright." Takara had continued on her path while the white-furred creature strolled next to her. "Can I ask another question?"

_"Sure."_

"How do I find a witch? How do I know when I'm close to one?"

_"When there is a witch close by, your soul gem will react to the energy it sends off, making it shine brighter than it does normally. From there, the soul gem will lead you to the witch's location. You will know where to go by instinct."_

"Got it. Thanks….um…" Takara couldn't find the right word to spit out. She didn't know how to address this magical creature.

_"Yes?"_

"What do I call you?"

_"My name is Kyubey. Since you're a new magical girl, I'll be around to help you by giving you advice and also to collect used grief seeds."_

Takara wanted to ask Kyubey more about these grief seeds that it kept mentioning, but before she could ask anymore questions, her ring began to flash with bright red color. She stared in wonder at her ring as it transformed itself into the soul gem's original form.

"Looks like it's time to kill my first witch." Her trembling voice invaded the silence, edging with nervousness. Of course she was nervous; in fact, she was terrified. Witches, soul gems, magical girls… It was all so unreal. She didn't know what to expect, or how dangerous fighting a witch would be.

After many twists and turns, her soul gem lead her to an abandoned street dotted with empty houses. _This is it. _

Suddenly, the scenery changed.

Everything around her was different, the broken-down houses fading from view, the world around her twisting and warping itself into something else. Fear and confusion shot through her as the atmosphere that surrounded her began to spiral out of control. Trembling with dread, she found herself standing in the middle of a clear hallway, the decorated walls and intricate carpet beneath her harboring an air of dis-belonging. The crooked hallway stretched farther than she could see, the ivory walls lined with beautifully carved wooden doors, each with its own design.

"What is this?" She looked over at the strange creature that was still standing beside her, in the same place as before, much to her confusion. Its tiny red eyes were devoid of emotion. _This thing has to know where I am._ "Kyubey, where the hell are we?" _Am I dreaming?_

_"We're in the witch's barrier, of course,"_ Kyubey answered, its voice calm and steady in her mind. _"She lures people in here to kill them."_

"So….it's basically a trap for them to fall into?" _That doesn't sound very comforting._

_"You could say that."_

Takara leaped backwards, jolted with fear as the walls began to crack and crumble around her, her heart racing in her chest with a viscous tenacity. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself mentally for what was to come.

But as her eyes fluttered open, she was puzzled by what she saw. Her vision was greeted by a vibrant blue sky; golden flowers dotting the scenery and a sweet smell drifting through her senses.

"I can't say this is what I expected from an evil witch's barrier," Takara laughed, trying to ease her discomfort. "How evil could she be with a barrier this nice?"

But it was too good to be true.

Takara stood, watching in horror as the beautiful sky darkened. The captivating shade of blue was fading from view, the sight being horrendously defiled by the black fluid that secreted from the air, staining it like ink on paper. The flowers were shriveling and dying at a rapid pace as well, the once peaceful scenery withering away into a dismal wasteland.

All she could do was stare, the sight was both horrifying and magnificent all at once. Her eyes began to shift to the dripping liquid once more, and as she watched it, she began to notice something rather unsettling. It was bubbling, moving, festering. It looked as if it was… alive. She took in a deep breath, bracing herself for whatever was to come.

Staring intently at the moving fluid, she was rattled with fear by what she saw. The liquid had begun to form itself into something; a shape, an object. The squirming, shivering black mass transforming itself into some kind of twisted, deranged creature. Takara was trembling now, struggling to remain calm as she stepped backwards, clutching her scythe close to her body.

"I-is this the witch?" Takara was trying her best to keep her voice steady, but she was incredibly afraid, and it was difficult to hide.

"That is only a familiar. It's like the witch's helper, although the witch itself is much more powerful. However, you will only receive a grief seed from killing a witch."

"That thing is only its helper?!" Takara shuddered with fear as she tried to imagine what the witch itself looked like.

The liquid began to form more and more familiars, the creatures slithering around like slugs against the dreary landscape. I came here to fight, so what am I doing just standing around?

Bracing herself for the attack, Takara lunged forward, slicing the creature in half, its corpse lying motionless on the floor beneath her. She stared, confused at how easily she had defeated the strange animal. But much to her dismay, the two halves began to merge together, the newly formed wretch sprouting teeth, its mouth extending in a vicious snarl. I can't be defeated by a pathetic familiar.

The creature leaped forward, but Takara, stepping back just in time, had dodged the swing. Now's my chance. Thrusting her scythe forward, she slammed the blade into the creature, hitting it repeatedly as its head erupted with black fluid. Hitting it for the final time, she was disturbed by what she saw. The creature bursted into flames, its body crackling and sizzling beneath the fiery light. _It's just like what happened when I killed those two girls…_

Stumbling backwards, her thoughts were interrupted by a loud, booming noise. Her eyes shooting in the direction of the sound, Takara was overwhelmed by what she saw. A towering, hideous creature loomed over her, its body decorated with a huge, black victorian dress, its long arms resembling spiky vines, its hair made of shining tentacles that moved and bended unnaturally around it. It brought with it a surreal presence that felt strange and out of place in the back of her mind. This just can't be real.

"So this is a witch."

_"Precisely."_

"You didn't tell me it was going to be that big!"

_"You never asked."_

"Well," replied Takara, nervously, "I might as well get this over with."

She gulped as she transformed into her magical girl outfit, not sure how she was going to take down such a massive creature.

The witch lashed at her with its spiked arm, and Takara had let out a scream as she flew across the barrier and landed roughly on her pain from the fall throbbed throughout her body, her head pounding nauseatingly. _I can't do this…_ Struggling to lift herself from the ground, she heard the squishing and sloshing of the slug creatures behind her, and she spun around to find them rushing towards her, ready to tear her apart as she was already down.

_I'll die here if I don't do something now._ Takara snapped out of her daze and grabbed her scythe, heading straight for the witch, slicing apart and igniting all the familiars that got in her way. She ran towards the witch with her scythe up and ready. The witch swung towards her again, but Takara dodged the attack by swiftly moving over to the side once more. However, the witch was prepared.

WIthout notice, the witch's long, tentacle-like hair snatched Takara, whipping around her faster than she could move. Takara was rushed with fear as she felt her feet lift from the floor. She was now dangling in the air, suspended over the dismal land beneath her. She could see the witch's face clearly, now. It had eight, black, beady eyes, and a huge, gaping mouth that dripped with a disgusting, toxic goop. But instead of swallowing her, the witch threw her down, and she felt her bones crack as she hit the floor. Takara couldn't move, she was paralyzed, the pain was worst than anything she had ever experienced in her life.

The witch and its familiars were closing in on her, their faces sprouting with strange, demented smiles, their teeth glinting yellow in the dimly lighted atmosphere.

Laying there, Takara was certain that this was how she was going to die.

_This…..this is my fate isn't it? If it is….this seems like a fitting end….an eye for an eye…_

She shut her eyes gently, welcoming death, staring it straight in the eyes like looking down the barrel of a gun. This was the end. This was what she deserved.

But there was something else. A glimmer of hope.

Another magical girl.

"Get out of here, you bastards!"

Her vision still blurry from the fall, Takara stared at her rescuer. It was a girl, about Takara's age, with short, shaggy green hair that moved in a flash with her, her golden eyes glinting with excitement as she destroyed the witch with little effort, smashing the familiars and flying past her in a flurry of energy.

After what felt like only seconds, the girl crumbled the witch's interior, exploding and splattering black ink everywhere. Takara stared at the girl in awe; she was so quick and carefree, her eyes full of life. Takara silently wished that she could be that way, oned day.

Everything was back to its original scenery. The green-haired girl landed on her feet and went to check on Takara. She was still sprawled out on the floor, her head spinning and her body in a whirl of agony. The girl put a hand on Takara's shoulder and shook it slightly. Takara was startled by the sudden touch. Looking around, she realized that the barrier had disappeared. They witch had been destroyed. _How could I be so pathetic?_

"Oh, good. You're not dead." she sighed in relief. She looked at the little star-shaped soul gem on Takara's hat and saw that it was about half black. The girl looked around to find the grief seed that it dropped. She picked it up to hand to Takara.

"Here. You need it more than I do. My soul gem is bright as it could be at the moment! Yours looks a lot darker, so you can have it."

Takara accepted the grief seed. She didn't exactly know how to use one of those grief seeds, so she was a little embarrassed. She transformed out of her magical girl outfit and held her soul gem in one hand and the grief seed in the other.

"Um…."

"What? Never used a grief seed before?" Takara nodded her head. "Well, all you have to do is touch them together and your soul gem gets all shiny again!" the girl explained cheerfully. Takara tried it out, watching the dark energy in the soul gem absorb into the grief seed, intrigued by how easily it could be cleaned.

"Woah." she stared at it in wonder.

"Cool, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks for saving me back there." Takara responded shyly., "I probably looked like a fool getting defeated so easily." _What am I saying? She probably doesn't care. _

"Oh, don't worry about it. Let me guess, you're a newbie, right?" the girl stared at Takara, her eyes bright with curiosity. Takara nodded nervously.

"Is it that obvious?" She asked, shifting uneasily.

"Kinda," she laughed, her voice lively and kind. "By the way, I'm Yumi Nakayoshi, but you can call me Yumi! Maybe we can be a magical girl duo and I could fight alongside you!" Takara stared at Yumi in shock.

_Why would she want to team up with a newbie like me? she thought. Maybe she has something else planned. Then again, she did save my life…...I need to repay her somehow._

"Sure, I could team up with you. I'm Takara Shibata."

"Can I call you Takara?" Yumi asked with a smile. Takara's eyes widened. She felt a litte hesitant at first, but she eased up on the idea. After all, it was nice meeting another magical girl for once.

"Yes, you can call me Takara." she replied, trying to sound as energetic as Yumi.

"Great!" Yumi exclaimed, "Tonight will be our first night as a magical girl team! Patrolling around the city, protecting civilians from the evils of the world! Doesn't that sound fun?" Her bright yellow eyes were full of hope.

"Well, let's just see how this first witch hunt together goes down, alright?" Takara stepped back from the hyper girl as she thought it was a little too soon to call them a team. _I didn't even get a chance to know her first._

That was the night that changed everything.


End file.
